Lewis Hamilton is a lot of things. Fast. Talented. Moody. Larger than life. Modern. A little bit gangster. A lot of personality. He is a character in Formula 1. In an age when F1 seems to be giving drives to people without personality, Lewis can be a breath of fresh air. Each day he walks through the paddock turnstile gates, you never know which Lewis you’ll get. The confident young guy eager to throw his car around as fast as he bloody can? Or an inward, seemingly emotionally unstable guy unsure of who and what he is at that moment in time.

Unlike many in the paddock, he wears his heart and his feelings on his sleeve. As a subject, he is easy to photograph. When he’s happy, you know it. Smiles abound. That big toothy grin and a genuine sparkle in his eye. On a bad day, it’s all downcast looks, one word answers, a forced toothless smile like he’s somewhere he really doesn’t want to be.

In 2014, we have seen all sides of Lewis. Both the good and the bad. But when the dust settled, we had a champion. A deserving one. One who is mesmerizing to watch handle a modern Formula One car. And the best car on the grid at that.

As ever, I’d like to thank those that made my coverage of F1 and travels to far corners of the world possible. James, Russ, Laurent, Blackbird, TK, Richard, Road and Track, my family and friends.